Verstappen had a lot to consider, focusing on the extreme challenge of catching up with Qin Miao quickly while also managing his tire wear.
He couldn't afford to catch up to Qin Miao only to lose grip from his tires.
Fuel consumption was another concern for Verstappen.
However, for Verstappen, these issues were not difficult to handle.
After all, he is Verstappen—someone who managed to contend with Hamilton during Mercedes' dominant period and had the capability to compete with Qin Miao for the championship while keeping Qin Miao at bay for nearly a season.
Not to mention, this season Red Bull's car clearly showed signs of recovery, achieving extreme levels in both speed and balance.
Aside from feeling immense pressure, Verstappen was also very confident in winning this race.
The broadcast team cleverly placed speed charts of Qin Miao and Verstappen side by side along with comparison graphs, allowing viewers to see the shrinking gap between them in real-time.
